​Ultima Thule: Northwest Passage & West Greenland

Day 1: Arrive in Calgary, Canada

Your Arctic expedition begins in Calgary. Explore this vibrant city on your own before spending the night at your comfortable hotel.

Day 2: Fly to Resolute and embark

This morning, you'll board your charter flight to Resolute. On arrival, you’ll have a chance to walk around this small Arctic town before enjoying your first of many Zodiac cruises as you’re transferred to your ship.

Days 3-6: Exploring Canada’s High Arctic

Cruising around the remote regions of the Canadian Arctic aboard Ocean Explorer, you’ll navigate the very same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of times past. Throughout the navigation, your Expedition Team will keep you immersed in the best the Arctic has to offer at the top of the world.

Named after explorer Frederick William Beechey of the Royal Navy, Beechey Island is a Canadian National Historic Site. It’s an important stop on your voyage, as this is the final resting place of three members of Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated 1845–46 expedition to find the Northwest Passage. The graves, located on a remote windswept raised beach, were discovered in 1851 by the crew of British and American vessels searching for signs of Franklin’s lost expedition.

Radstock Bay is a popular research location for observing polar bears - often seen here in summer. There's also an impressive Thule archaeological site that provides fascinating insight into how pre-Inuit people lived in the Far North.

For almost 5,000 years, the hamlet of Arctic Bay and its surrounding area, has been occupied by Inuit people. They were previously nomadic and migrated from the west. Surrounded by soaring cliffs teeming with seabirds, this is a perfect location at which to go ashore and learn about the Inuit community’s traditional way of life.

The eastern end of Lancaster Sound offers hiking and cruising opportunities on Devon Island.

At Dundas Harbour, you can walk along a beach to a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost.

We’ll anchor at Croker Bay, where we’ll navigate close enough to appreciate the splendor of glacial textures and calving ice, while always keeping a safe distance.

Walrus frequent the waters here, so be sure to have your camera at hand.

Canada’s most northern settlement, Grise Fiord will be your final shore visit in the Canadian High Arctic. It's now home to about 150 mostly Inuit residents and was created in 1953 when the federal government forcefully relocated eight Inuit families from northern Quebec. Hunting and fishing are an integral part of their lives. You can visit the monument to the first Inuit settlers, as well as the remnants of the 'old camp' where they lived.

Days 7 & 8: Exploring Smith Sound

Before saying goodbye to Canada, we’ll try to cruise as far north as possible, exploring both sides of Smith Sound, the uninhabited passage between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.

Day 9: Qaanaaq, Greenland

Your first stop in Greenland is Qaanaaq, formerly known as Thule, and one of the northernmost towns in the world. Here, the Inuit share their culture and traditions, and a visit to the museum will give you more understanding of what it’s like to live near the top of the world.

Day 10: Cruising

As we sail south along the west coast of Greenland, there will be presentations by our on-board experts to prepare you for the adventures which lie ahead.

Days 11 to 15: Exploring West Greenland

With spectacular glaciers, soaring fjords and vibrant communities, the west coast of Greenland will leave you breathless. 

Nuussuaq (formerly known as Kraulshavn) is the only mainland community in the Upernavik Archipelago. It was founded in 1923 as a trading station and remains one of the most traditional hunting and fishing villages in Greenland. 

Each community visit in Greenland is a unique experience and Uummannaq might just steal your heart. It’s not surprising that the red-hued, heart-shaped mountain that rises up behind gave this traditional village its name (Uummannaq means 'heart-like' in Greenlandic).

As your ship approaches the shore, make sure you're on deck to take in the incredible view of the twin peaks towering over the brightly painted wooden houses dotting the rocky terrain below. This settlement was established as a Danish colony in 1758 on the mainland, but it relocated five years later as seal hunting was more bountiful here. 

At the nearby archaeological site of Qilaqitsoq (also written as Qilakitsoq), you’ll visit the remnants of an ancient settlement, where the remains of eight fully-dressed mummies were discovered under a rock outcrop in 1972 by a pair of hunters. The famous Greenlandic mummies, which date back to 1475, are now on view at the Greenland National Museum in Nuuk.

Cruising further south rewards us with spectacular views of Eqip Sermia - a jagged, blue-tinged glacier soaring out of the icy waters. It really is one of the most beautiful sights in Greenland, and hopefully we can take a Zodiac cruise along its massive front. We may also be able to go ashore to explore nearby.

Just south of Ilulissat, which means 'iceberg' in Greenlandic, is the impressive Ilulissat Icefjord. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to Sermeq Kujalleq, the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. On a Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord, you may be fortunate enough to witness the sight of calving ice (listen to the loud roars as the ice breaks off).

Founded in 1741, this traditional town, which boasts more sled dogs than people, was the birthplace of explorer and anthropologist Knud Rasmussen. In the 1920s, he was the first person to traverse the Northwest Passage by dogsled. Hikes starting from here lead out to stunning views of the young icebergs as they float out of the fjord to Disko Bay.

In Sisimiut, you’ll be shown a traditional kayaking demonstration. The kayak (an Inuit word that the English borrowed) has become a national symbol of Greenland and has been used by Inuit hunters for thousands of years. The town has several 18th-century colonial buildings, including the oldest surviving church in Greenland, so do take some time to wander through the historic area.

Surrounded by sea and mountains, Itilleq is situated about a mile (1.6km) above the Arctic Circle, in a scenic hollow on a small island. It is the southern limit of the Greenlandic sled dog. In order to keep the breed pure, the dogs are not permitted south of this community and all other dog breeds are prohibited this far north.

It’s a very welcoming community, where you might experience 'kaffemik', a Greenlandic tradition of inviting visitors in for coffee, cakes and conversation.

Explore the town’s charming wooden houses painted in an array of bright colours and chat with the locals. Perhaps even challenge them to a game of football (soccer) - it won’t be long before you’re experiencing Itilleq’s famous friendly vibe.

Day 16: Disembark in Kangerlussuaq and fly to Reykjavik

You'll enjoy one final Zodiac ride to shore, from where you’ll board your charter flight back to Reykjavik, Iceland.

Upon arrival in Reykjavik, you will be transferred to your included hotel.

Day 17: Depart Reykjavik, Iceland

Today, you can fly out of Iceland at your leisure, or perhaps spend more time exploring this fascinating city.

NOTE: This itinerary is for guidance only as each voyage will vary depending on ice and weather conditions, and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is key and all part of the adventure of an expeditionary cruise.